Persephone
by Mai.Mouse
Summary: The first chapter of the amazing yet mislead legend of Persephone


My light tan fingers brushed gently against the soft strands of grass, I went between the blades and pressed my fingers against the soft moist earth. There as I watched soft pink and white buds peeked out of the ground they grew taller until they were full flowers, I smiled as more flowers grew up from the soft earth.

I brushed my fingers against the soft gentle petals, "Persephone!" called a women's voice. I looked up and beamed, there stood a tall woman with long brown hair that lay around her face, wheat woven within the strands. Her eyes were gentle brown, like the earth, her skin was tan and slightly speckled with freckles. She was beautiful, wearing an elegant green dress made of silk.

I got up quickly and bowed, "Welcome Mother." I stood up smiling, she came forward and took my face between her soft hands, and she kissed both of my cheeks. "Hello my Darling," came her voice. Her fingers brushed against my light brown hair, feeling the blue flowers I had woven in my hair the way wheat was woven into hers. "You're just like your mother my darling," I smiled, "That is something I will hold close to me, for my mother is the one person I hold to my heart." My mother embraced me, and I hugged her back, her hand stroking my slightly curled hair softly.

"How did your plan work, Mother?" I asked as we sat down on the grass, my mother sighed and shook her head. "Zeus will not listen to me, I wish to work with the human's I could teach them so much, how to cultivate the land. Yes they can plant things but they're doing it all wrong!" My mother's face was crinkled in dismay; I knew she wanted to help the humans. I reached and rest my hand on my mothers, she looked up at me. "Mother, you need to convince Zeus that the humans could leave easier that way, isn't that important? For the humans to live? We need them."

My mother, Demeter, stood up and started to pace, were ever her bare feet touched different plants grew strong and well. "Zeus doesn't want the humans to live at ease, he doesn't want them to get to powerful, afraid they would get to smart and try to over throw the Gods." She paced her face frowned and thoughtful, I bit my lip hating when she frowned. "But Mother, the humans could never become that strong! They don't have the powers we do; they could never over throw us. I don't see how Zeus could think such a thing." Demeter stopped pacing and scowled at the ground. "Zeus is a blind fool." Thunder rumbled above us, I gasped softly and sucked in a breath, "Mother you shouldn't say those things!"

Demeter turned and kneeled in front of me, sitting on her feet. "I feel horrible, my child, I have the power to help the humans yet Zeus won't allow me to." My mother put her head in her hands; I bit my lip and leaned forward embracing my mother. "We will find a way Mother," I stroked her hair, when my fingers brushed the wheat woven there, it shivered slightly. Demeter sighed and tilled back her head, she was smiling, and she embraced me, and held me tight. "How I ever got such a wise, and wonderful daughter, I thank the Fates." I smiled gently at her praise.

Demeter stood up and I rose with her, she smiled gently, "Well my daughter it is time for the winter solstice." The sun had just made its way to the horizon, Apollo was almost ready to rest for the night, ready to go to the Gods meeting once that his burden was gone. Just then the world darkened slightly, I turned and looked around in the field I had been in, the flowers I had made shivered and closed up their petals, trees shook slightly, I turned to Demeter. "Looks like Hades is already there." She murmured, her earth brown eyes focused on me. "Are you ready to go my dear?" I nodded, and Demeter took my hand. There was a flash of gold shimmer as our true forms were revealed, the flowers that I had made, almost glowed the plants mother had made also beamed with life where our bare feet touched mother earth, my grandmother Gaea.

I blinked and there in front of me was Olympus, my feet touched the soft gentle clouds of the city. I looked up the winding paths satyrs, centaurs, nymphs running along it, statues and buildings made from marble, gold, silver, and bronze. I smiled, and started to walk up the paths, as the nymphs, satyrs, and centaurs saw us they got down and knelt quickly. I looked away embraced slightly at their worship, Demeter squeezed my hand sensing my unease. We had made it to the marble steps, and as I looked up seeing the grand castle of the Gods, I smiled at the beauty of it. We made our way through the palace until we got to the bronze doors of the throne room, Demeter spoke words of Greek and the doors creaked open.

I gasped as saw the throne room, I did this every time I saw the throne room, I could not help but it when I saw the beauty of it. Demeter laughed softly, her laugh ringing like bells in my ears. The throne room had twelve golden thrones in an arch; each one had different etchings of what had to do with the God that sat there. One extra chair was there, because of the other God come for the meeting, Hades, a gold chair finished making a arch of thirteen. The chairs were enormous, because of when the gods are at their full size. A grand fire place, hearth, in the center, pillars of marble was on three sides of the throne room the back and two sides. You could see all of Olympus between the pillars, the ceiling of the throne room was all sky, stars flickered.

It seemed all the Gods were there, though none of them sat in their seats, the talk went among them voices some heated others calm, they were in their full form. I counted eighteen gods including my mother and me, Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Ares, Hermes, Dionysus, Apollo, Artemis, Prometheus, Pan, and Poseidon's wife Amphitrite.

By the hearth sat a young girl, with dark reddish brown curls, she was in a simple brown dress, she turned to me, her eyes burned with a fire, but it was warm and comforting. "Hestia!" I cried out, and ran up to her, she stood up and embraced me, she giggled gently. "Oh Persephone, my dear you get more lovely every year." She greeted me kissing both my cheeks; her warm hands brushed my hair and cheeks. I laughed gently, "As do you M'lady." I bow slightly; Hestia shakes her head still smiling. "I have a gift for you." I say reaching behind my cloak to a pocket within my light green dress, I pull from it a crown, I hold it for Hestia to see. It was thin silver bands woven together, in a crown, in between those were small gentle white flowers that glowed softly, the were beautiful, they shivered slightly and perked up as my fingers brushed them. Hestia gasped at their beauty; I placed the crown on her head. "The flowers are called moonlace." "Oh thank you Persephone it's so beautiful," She touched the crown gently.

"Let's get on with this shall we?" Cracked a voice, it boomed with power and strength behind it. I looked up seeing Zeus had taken his place sitting at his throne, he wore a white robe, and held in his hand his master bolt; I felt its power pulsing on my skin. I watched as the Gods took their seats, Amphitrite took her place sitting in a at Poseidon's feet, she was in mortal size. Prometheus sat down on the right side of the hearth, I wondered slightly why he was here, Titans were usually not allowed here. Hade's had taken his seat a dark aura hanging around him, Hestia jolted me from my thoughts tugged on my arm pulling me down to sit beside her.

As soon as I sat down, Zeus stood, "Let the Winter Solstice meeting begin." He rumbled his voice crackled with power, I shivered slightly. "What is the first order of discussion?" "My Lord?" Prometheus said just as Demeter stood to speak. Zeus narrowed is eyes at Prometheus, but turned to Demeter, "Yes Sister what do you wish to say?" "My Lord, I beg you again to allow me to teach the mortals to cultivate the land." She says strongly, her earth brown eyes burning with the power she wishes to share with the humans. Zeus scowled, I could tell he wished she didn't bring this up in front of everyone, I tensed. I felt Hestia grab my hand and squeeze it slightly.

"Demeter we already spoke of this and we will not teach the mortals anything, especially not to make their own food." Demeter glanced slightly at Athena, Zeus did not notice, "Please my Lord, I cannot sit here while the humans starve, and yet I have the power to help them!" "You do not have that power! I will not let you have it!" Zeus roared, "Zeus," Athena spoke up, "The mortals worship us, they ask us for life, they ask us for wisdom, they ask us to protect them. So why shouldn't we help them every once and a while? They look up to us, My lord. Why shouldn't we help the humans?" Zeus turned to his advisor, "They could take what we give them and use it against us!" Zeus roared, thunder cracked above us.

I stood up, and Hestia's hand tightened on mine but I ignored it, "Please My lord if I may." I felt everyone's eyes turn on to me. Zeus turned to me, I saw shivers of electricity shiver of his skin, I shuttered. "What is it Persephone?" he said slightly calmer. I stole a quick glance at my mother, her eyes were worried and warning. I bowed slightly, "My King, the mortals simply don't have the power that we have; they could not over take us without the powers we have, and we won't be giving them that, just food. Giving them the gift of food, from plants, I don't see how that could be of such tragedy to our way of life. Giving them food should make them grateful to us." I bowed my head, showing that I was done speaking.

I raised my head again, and Zeus was staring at me, trying to see past my guarded expression. In that time no one spoke, no one breathed, it was deathly silence in the halls. Zeus then sat down in his throne, still gazing at me, then. "Out spoken my own daughter." Zeus looked at Demeter, "I grate you your wishes, you may teach the mortals to cultivate." I gasped softly and looked at Demeter, she was smiling from ear to ear, her eyes glowing at me. I smiled and bowed, "Thank you My Lord." Demeter and I said together. I sat down beside Hestia and she squeezed my hand and smiled at me. I felt someone's gaze bore into my back; I turned and met a dark sinister gaze, a dark aura clouded my vision. The gaze was that of Hades.


End file.
